Trippin' On Me
by unlove
Summary: One argument about Darcy changes the whole dynamic of Peter and Clare's friendship. Clare/Eli, Peter/Darcy...but will that change?
1. Chapter 1

**Unfortunately, I don't own Degrassi in any way, shape or form. If I did, Emma would have married Sean, Jimmy would be walking, J.T. would be alive, Drew would suffer from erectile dysfunction and Jenna would fall off of a cliff. Thanks for reading!**

**1.**

Startled, Clare Edwards jerked her head up when the lights flashed. Shaken from her homework-induced coma, she shot a smile at Peter Stone. "Closing time?" she asked, glancing around to see that she was the only remaining customer in the Dot. Jeez, how long had she been here?

"Amen to that," he replied as he wiped down the counter. "I still have stuff to do for my 8 a.m. class. You need a ride home, Baby Edwards?"

"Nah, I'll be fine." Clare began to gather her stuff, stuffing into her backpack in an uncharacteristically haphazard way.

"Wait five minutes and I'll give you one anyway." Peter flipped the sign on the door to CLOSED and walked behind the counter. "I know it's a good neighborhood, but let's be safe on the off-chance that a crazy murdering rapist chooses tonight to roam the streets."

"It's only 10 p.m.," Clare protested with a laugh, "and I think that's highly unlikely in any case."

"Unlikely and impossible are two different things so shut up and take the ride." Peter looked up from the register, where he was neatly stacking bills. "Where's Emo Boy, anyway? He always gives you a ride home."

Clare picked up her bag and strolled over to glance out of the big glass windows at the front of the shop. "He gave me a ride home after school. I just, I don't know. With Dad moved out and Mom at work, it was too quiet. Eli had something else to do so I just came here. I needed a little background noise." She turned and flashed Peter a sad smile.

"I get that," Peter said. "Divorced parents suck." He held open the door for Clare, pausing to lock it behind him. "You know you're welcome to hang out here anytime we're open, right? I don't mind, and I know Spin feels the same way." He pulled out his keys, using the fob to unlock his sporty little red car.

Clare had no idea what kind of car it was, but she knew it was expensive. But then, Darcy had once told her Peter's dad had gobs of money. She shrugged in reply to Peter's offer. "Thanks, I guess. I just wish my sister was here. She'd know what to do." Climbing into the car, she tugged her uniform skirt down toward her knees before fastening her seatbelt. "But she's never coming home."

Peter tapped the steering wheel in time to the radio as he drove the five blocks to Clare's house. "She'll come home eventually. I think she has a lot of issues to work through before she can face being here again."

"That's bullshit," Clare snapped vehemently, surprising herself as much as Peter. He glanced over at her with an open mouth like he was going to say something, but she kept going. "We all have issues to work through. She just chose to run away."

"I wouldn't call it running away," Peter said diplomatically, slowing as he approached a stop sign. "She's doing some amazing things in Kenya. It was a great opportunity for her."

Clare snorted. "When did you become Mr. Positive? In case you've forgotten, she dumped you to go to Kenya." She shut her eyes, embarrassed by the hatefulness in her tone. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."

Peter pulled to a stop in front of the Edwards house. "Look, she'll come back when she's ready. And when she does, I'll be here." His expectant look said that he expected Clare to agree.

Clare glared over at Peter in disbelief. "Do you think that no one notices that you've put your whole life on hold since she left? Do you even date anymore? You're obsessed with a girl that you haven't seen in over a year. I love my sister, but she treated you like crap. You were the only person who stood by her, and she left you. What a winner, right?" She shook her head as she unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to get out of the car.

Peter tightened his grip on the steering wheel until his knuckles were white. "You're one to talk, Saint Clare." He practically spat the nickname at her. "Your boyfriend is a Goth freak who wears guy-liner and drives a hearse. Oh yeah, and didn't you tell me something about him still being in love with his dead ex-girlfriend?"

Clare realized that she'd crossed a line as the angry remark hit her like a punch. She knew she should be apologizing, but he had hit a little too close to home. "So you're saying that I can't get a normal guy? Look, I know I'm not as great as your perfect Darcy. I've been dealing with it my whole life. Maybe Eli is still obsessed with Julia, but at least she didn't leave him on purpose!" 

"Just get out," Peter cut her off. "Now." He shifted the car back into drive, not looking at her.

Clare muttered another apology as she climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut. She stood on the sidewalk, watching as he flew down the road. When the red of his tail lights faded from view, she silently wiped a tear away and went inside her lonely house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, I do not own Degrassi and that makes me sad. Thanks for the reviews. Enjoy!**

**2.**

Clare's thoughts wandered to Peter often over the next day. She could still picture, quite clearly, the pain on his face when she had given him that earful on Darcy. She loved her without a doubt, but sometimes a girl – especially a fifteen-year-old girl – needed her sister. She was so angry at Darcy for being gone, and she had thought, for a second, that Peter would understand. Wrong again.

"You've been moping all day," Eli pointed out as they walked across the parking lot after school. "You plan on telling me what's wrong?" He laced his fingers with hers, swinging their joined hands gently.

Before she could reply, someone shouted her name. Clare and Eli turned simultaneously toward the tall blonde ambling over to them. "Clare," Peter said again as he approached, "can I talk to you for a minute?"

Ignoring Eli's questioning look, Clare nodded. Peter shot a glance at Eli, and then at her before saying, "I owe you an apology. That whole thing last night…"

"Whoa, last night?" Eli turned to Clare. "I thought you stayed home last night. You lied to me?" Eli dropped her hand and took a step back.

Clare covered her face with her hands, sighing heavily. "It wasn't like that, Eli. I got bored sitting home by myself, so I went to the Dot and did homework. Peter gave me a ride home at closing time. We got into a little argument, that's all. No big deal." Lowering her hands, she gestured for Peter to continue.

Peter grimaced. "Anyway, I was just going to tell you that I'm sorry about last night. I know I lost it when we were talking about Darcy, and I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it when I called you Saint Clare. And the, um, other stuff I said…" He tilted his head toward Eli to be sure she caught his meaning. "That was out of line too. I don't think Darcy is better than you. You're beautiful and smart and kind and caring just like she is. So anyway, that's it. I just wanted to tell you that." He rocked back on his heels, hands in pockets, looking awkward. "Okay. Bye then." He turned and walked away.

Clare slowly turned her head to meet Eli's gaze. He was looking at her as if she had three heads. "Since when do you hang out with the Dot dude and ride around in his car, Clare?"

"Eli, he is Darcy's boyfriend. Or was. I'm not really sure what's going on there." Clare bit her lower lip. "The point is, you were busy and I was bored, and Peter was nice enough to give me a ride home so I was safe, just like you always want me to be. The whole argument about Darcy was just stupid. He's still in love with her and I don't get it."

Eli smirked. "Sounds like he's more interested in you now."

Clare rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Eli fell to his knees and spoke in a high-pitched voice. "Dearest Saint Clare, you are beautiful and kind and wonderful and amazing. And I have absolutely no problem professing my undying love while your boyfriend is standing next to you. For thou art the fairest of the Edwards sisters!" He clasped his hands against his chest and faked a swoon.

"You know what, Eli? You're being an ass." Clare put her hands on her hips and stared down at his surprised face. "Peter didn't have to apologize to me. I'm the one that started the fight. So I'm pretty impressed that Peter had the guts to come and say he was sorry. Besides that, it's nice to be told that you're beautiful once in awhile. Maybe if you said it more often, I wouldn't enjoy hearing it from random guys so much."

She stomped off toward home with Eli trailing after her, calling her name. She pretended not to hear him and he eventually stopped chasing her. Instead, he sent her a text message.

Eli: What is your problem?

Clare: You! You act like I should be thankful you're with me. Get over yourself.

Eli: I do not. I love you.

Clare: I'll talk to you tomorrow. I've got stuff to do.

Eli sat in the driver's seat of his hearse, Morty, and stared at the screen on his phone. Clare had never blown him off like that before. He took a couple of deep breaths before starting the car and driving away.


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Degrassi. So very sad…**

**3.**

Clare was only mildly surprised to find Eli outside her house the next morning. He was leaning against Morty, a single red rose in his hand. The sun set his dark hair gleaming and he smirked at her. For just a second, Clare was so dazzled that she forgot to breathe. She closed her eyes against the dizziness. When she reopened them, Eli was standing directly in front of her.

He reached out, brushing his fingers across her cheek. "I'm so sorry, Clare. I was just trying to have some fun, but I was being stupid. I'm glad you and Peter worked things out. And I want you to know that I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world. You make my heart skip a beat every time those beautiful blue eyes meet mine." He held out the rose. "Am I forgiven?"

Clare stared into Eli's eyes as she accepted the rose. "I do forgive you. Let's just pretend like yesterday never happened, okay?"

Eli kissed Clare gently, running his fingers through her curls. "Completely forgotten. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Eli opened the passenger door with a bow and smile.

The caf had become increasingly crowded since the closed campus rule had been enacted, but Eli and Adam managed to grab a table in the corner that was somewhat isolated. With Clare at a Yearbook meeting, it was just the two of them. Eli was kicked back in his chair with his earphones in while Adam was engrossed in a new comic book.

Eli yanked his ear buds out and leaned forward with his elbows on the table. "I need your advice, man."

Adam raised his eyebrows and closed his book. "Since when do you need advice from anybody, Eli? You always do what you want."

"No, I need Clare advice." He ran a hand through his hair. "You know that guy from the Dot? Peter, the tall guy who runs Above the Dot."

"You mean Clare's sister's boyfriend?" Adam asked around a mouthful of food.

"Right," Eli said. "Him. So Clare and I were headed out to Morty yesterday, and he walked up saying he needed to talk to her. He apologized to her for their fight and told her he thought she was beautiful."

"With you standing there?" Adam asked.

"Yeah! I was standing right beside her, holding her hand, while he goes on about how he thinks she's amazing and how sorry he is for hurting her." Eli shook his head in amazement. "Then, when I teasing Clare about what he said, she totally went off on me. She ended up walking home and ignoring my texts all night."

"That doesn't sound like Clare at all," Adam protested.

Eli agreed. "Exactly. She even said that I act like I'm too good for her!"

"Well…"

"I do not," Eli exclaimed. "Look, you know that I love Clare, right?"

"Yeah," Adam said.

"Okay, so what should I do? Adam, I need your help here. I just want her to be happy," Eli said seriously. "I don't know if I need to say something to this dude or what."

Adam stared at Eli. "I'm pretty sure that talking to him is a really stupid idea."

By 4 p.m., the afterschool crowd was moved on from the Dot. The adults grabbing an after-work coffee wouldn't slam the place until after 5. It was, in Eli's mind, the perfect time to have a little chat with the Dot guy. He could admit to himself that it would've been better if he hadn't had to lie to Clare to get here without her, but he planned to make that up to her.

Adam grabbed the strap of Eli's bag and yanked as hard as he could. "I thought I told you this was a bad idea!"

They were literally a foot from the door. Eli pushed Adam's hand away. "I've got it covered, Adam. We're just going to go in, order a drink, act casual. I'm going to mention that Clare didn't really appreciate his apology and ask him to leave her alone. Then we leave. What could go wrong?"

"Those," Adam muttered as he followed Eli in, "are famous last words. Shit."

Everything seemed remarkably normal. They had their drinks and talked music. They covered weekend plans and Eli paid. Just before they walked out the door, Eli told Adam to wait outside and called Peter over.

Peter wiped his hands on a towel and leaned over the counter. "What's up, man?"

Eli tried to look as innocent as possible. "Look, bro, I don't want to mess with you or anything. I just wanted to tell you that Clare was, well, pretty embarrassed by your apology yesterday. She thinks you have a thing for her, and considering the history between you guys, that could get really weird."

Peter jerked back. "She thinks what? No, I don't. That's crazy."

Eli shrugged. "I tried to tell her, man. I know you were just trying to be nice, not hitting on her or something. But now she feels really weird being around you. I think it might be best if you stayed away from her. She was afraid to tell you."

"I was? Really?"

Eli turned at the voice, sighing loudly. "Gee, Adam, you're about the worst damn lookout EVER!"

Clare moved forward until she was close enough to kiss Eli. "You wouldn't need a lookout if you weren't such a jerk." She leaned around him. "Peter, I'm so sorry. Everything that came out of his mouth was a lie. I don't even need to hear it to know that." She turned her attention back to Eli, meeting his gaze with sad eyes. "You know what? You disgust me." She turned and walked out of the Dot, shutting the door quietly behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Degrassi. And let me just say that the suspense is killing me! I didn't get to watch Jesus, Etc. Part 2 because I was out of town and my hotel didn't get the station, so I just finished it. And then I happily went on to the promo for next week…why can't we just do a marathon and finish out the entire season? I really love Johnny, you know.**

**4.**

Clare spent the entire next day pretending Eli was invisible; unfortunately, that meant pretending Adam was invisible too, since you couldn't really have one without the other. When lunch came about, Clare was stunned by the realization that her circle of friends had shrunk to include only Adam and Eli. With Alli gone, she truly had no female friends. Holding her tray, she circled the caf with her eyes, desperately searching for somewhere to sit. She was fighting back an overwhelming wave of loneliness when her gaze fell on K.C. and Jenna. It was true that she hadn't talked to them in awhile, but the sting of their betrayal had faded to almost nothing. And honestly, the only other option she had was to sit with Connor and Wesley.

Ignoring Eli's penetrating stare, she made her way toward the middle of the caf where Jenna and K.C. sat. "Mind if I join you guys?" she asked, pasting on the friendliest grin she could manage.

"We'd love it," Jenna squealed with delight, jumping up and giving Clare an awkward hug, complicated by Clare's lunch tray and Jenna's bulging belly. "Oh my God, Clare-bear! We haven't talked to you in forever. What are you doing sitting here? Are you and Eli having a fight or something? I can't believe it; you guys seem so perfect for each other!"

K.C. managed to give Clare an awkward nod and a smile, as if he were mentally calculating the dangers of having his ex-girlfriend sitting beside his current (pregnant) girlfriend, considering that he had cheated on the former with the latter. It was obvious that he wasn't going to argue with Jenna though.

Clare waved her hand and announced, as casually as she could, "Oh, Eli and I are over. It just wasn't working out. You know how these things go." She flipped her hair and pretended to focus on her lunch tray, appearing fascinated by a carrot stick.

"Does he know that?" K.C. asked, jerking his chin toward Eli, who was fast approaching. The girls turned to look.

"I thought I made it pretty clear." She stood to face Eli, who stopped short at the sight of her angry face. Hands on hips, she took a few steps toward him before saying, "What part of yesterday's conversation did you not understand? I didn't think that the words 'you disgust me' would need interpretation."

She hadn't spoken loudly, but the crowd, sensing the approach of drama, had quieted just before she spoke. Every person in the room had moved to see what would happen next, and the silence was so total that heart beats were nearly audible. K.C. and Jenna, in their front row seats, held their breath as Eli gritted his teeth.

"No need to cause a scene, Clare," he said, regaining his calm demeanor. "We can go somewhere private and talk about this. I can explain."

The sarcastically bright smile Clare flashed was almost frightening in contrast to the anger she had shown him a moment ago. "I'll cause a scene if I want to, Eli. I have nothing to hide. You're the one who lied to me, went to see one of my good friends while he was at work, and told him that I never wanted to see him again. Are you really so insecure that you feel the need to handpick my friends so I only come in contact with harmless guys who aren't interested in me? It's pathetic and I'm tired of it. Three words – we are done."

She snatched up her tray and moved away from the table. She was completely unprepared when Eli grabbed her arm and smacked the tray out of her hands. "We're not done," he screamed in her face. Time seemed to slow as Eli tightened his grip on her arm, making it impossible for her to break free. In a panic, Clare's eyes flitted around the room, silently begging for someone to help her, but no one moved. After a few seconds that felt more like an hour, Eli's hand relaxed on her arm and his mouth opened to say something, but before he could get out another word, K.C. was pushing him away.

"Get the fuck away from her," he shouted, brutally shoving Eli back. "You're hurting her, you freak!"

Eli clenched his hands into fists and made like he was going to step forward, but was immediately surrounded by Adam, his step-brother Drew and half the football team. Jenna slid off of the bench and moved to stand beside Clare, wrapping one arm around her. With one quick glance, Eli evaluated the situation and decided it was a losing battle.

He slowly backed way, calling to Clare, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, but we need to talk."

K.C. growled low in his throat, lunging for Eli again, but Drew grabbed him by the shoulders. "Dude, I'm pretty sure this conversation is over. Get lost."

Eli stomped out of the cafeteria, shooting death glares left and right, as Clare buried her face in Jenna's shoulder and cried. People hovered around them, asking Clare if she was okay. She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes dry. "I need to call Peter."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Just for the record, I'm not turning Eli into an abusive psycho boyfriend. But I think it's safe to say that he's not the most stable individual and I can totally see him refusing to admit that he and Clare are done.


	5. Chapter 5

**FYI, I have to start classes again tomorrow, so this daily update thing is about to go bye-bye. I have about 3 more chapters in mind before wrapping it up, so I'll try to have an update for tomorrow, but the rest may have to wait until the weekend. Still don't own Degrassi, still using the characters in my own sick little world. Enjoy!**

5.

Clare leaned against a sink in the girls' bathroom, dialing Peter's number.

"Why are you calling him anyway?" Jenna asked from the first stall. The rest of her words were drowned out by the sound of the flushing toilet.

"What?" Clare shouted as she hastily hit the end button and attempted to put in the number correctly.

"Sorry," Jenna said, approaching the next sink. "I said is he your new boyfriend or something."

"No, but he's stuck in the middle of this," Clare said. "Shh, it's ringing!" She turned to face the mirror, silently pleading with Peter to pick up the phone as she counted rings. After 5 rings, it went to voicemail. Clare waited for the recorded message to finish. After the beep, she took a deep breath. "Peter, it's Clare. Look, I just wanted to warn you about Eli. After everything that happened yesterday, I thought this whole thing was over, but Eli came over to me in the caf today and grabbed my arm and I really thought he was going to hurt me, but some people stopped him, and I don't want anything to happen to you. I'm so sorry you got involved in this! Please call me when you get this message, okay? Thanks."

Clare hung up the phone and buried her teary face in her hands. "Oh, Jenna, what am I going to do?"

"Has Eli ever hurt you before?" Jenna asked, handing Clare a wad of paper towels.

"No, never!" Clare raised her head, blue eyes shining with unshed tears. "I knew he was jealous, but I had no idea it was this bad. I don't get it." She wiped her face and threw the paper towels in the trash. "Three days ago, everything was fine. Then he found out that I was friends with Peter and some things were said…it's all out of control."

Clare's phone rang. She snatched it up, telling Jenna, "It's Peter." She answered as calmly as she could. "Hello?" But as soon as she heard Peter's voice, she burst into tears again. "Peter, I'm so sorry!"

Jenna waited silently as Clare explained what had happened. It would have been more interesting to hear both sides of the conversation, but she caught enough of it to know that Peter was concerned about Clare's safety and was demanding that she allow him to pick her up after school. Clare protested weakly, "I don't need you to come get me. I can walk. I'll be fine." But in the end, she told Peter she would meet him in the parking lot after school.

From the hall, the girls heard the bell ringing. "Peter, I've got to go. It's time for class." Clare paused, listening. "No, it's fine. I'll stay away from him. I'm so sorry." She paused again, longer this time. "I know. He's not going to touch me. Peter, if he comes near me again, I'll call Spinner. I'll see you in a little bit. Bye."

As Jenna followed Clare out of the bathroom, she raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure you're just friends? I was just waiting to hear an 'I love you' at the end."

"Have you seen the guys I date? Peter's too good for me." Realizing who she was talking to, she quickly apologized. "I didn't mean anything by that, I swear. It's just that Peter's a really nice guy and, as evidenced by today's scene, I only date complete psychos. I have to get to class, but thanks for helping me. Tell K.C. thanks for me too." Clare gave Jenna a quick hug before running off down the hall.

Jenna spun around as K.C. approached. "Was that messed up or what?"

"Or what," K.C. replied, kissing her cheek. "Is Clare okay?"

"She's fine," Jenna assured him, "now that she got to talk to Peter. She says they're just friends, but let me tell you that the conversation I just heard was a little too friendly, if you know what I mean."

K.C. stared at Jenna. "Peter is her sister's boyfriend."

"Maybe not anymore," Jenna sang out as they linked arms and walked down the hall.

Clare dropped her head to the desk in relief when the final bell of the day rang. Her neck ached from whipping her head around every time she thought she saw or heard Eli. She gathered her things and silently made her way out of the school toward the place where she was supposed to meet Peter. She heard them before she saw them, because they were surrounded by a huge crowd of people.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Clare recognized Eli's voice instantly.

The voice yelling back was obviously Peter's. "I wouldn't have to be if you weren't such a fucking nutcase! Clare called me after you lost it in the caf and attacked her."

"I didn't attack her! I was just trying to talk to her. Our relationship was perfect until your stupid ass waltzed in and decided to steal my girlfriend! Can't you get a date with a girl your own age? Fucking pedophile!"

"If I'd known it was going to be that easy to steal her from you, I would've done it a long time ago!"

Clare started to work her way through the crowd, but as soon as people saw who was trying to get through, they opened a path for her. The scene at the center of the circle was volatile. Peter was standing by the driver's side door of his car, red-faced, towering over Eli. Sav had one hand on Peter's shoulder, and was talking quickly, trying to calm him down. Adam stood a few feet behind Eli, staring at his feet as the two screamed at each other.

"Stop," Clare demanded. She stepped in between the guys, holding her hands out. "Please just stop." Eli reached for her, but she jumped away.

"Don't touch her," Peter screamed, yanking Clare behind him. "If you ever touch her again, I will fucking kill you, swear to God. I'll kill you if you so much as breathe on her." Without looking away from Eli, he said, "Get in the car, Clare." She was clutching the back of his shirt, so he knew she hadn't moved. "Please, babe, get in the car."

"I will if you will." She took a step backward and pulled on his shirt.

He moved so he could see her without turning his back on Eli. "I will get in the car as soon as I know you're safely in it, okay? I promise. Now please go get in the car, Clare."

She nodded and backed up until she was touching the car. She never took her eyes off of Peter's as she made her way around the car and into the passenger's seat. As soon as Peter heard the door click shut, he went for the driver's side. No one else moved as he entered the car.

Right before Peter shut the door, Eli yelled Clare's name.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Degrassi, this is all made up and you will never see anything like what I've written on the show. Which is probably a good thing. Enjoy!**

6.

Peter and Clare didn't speak during the car ride, except when Peter asked if she was okay, and she replied, "I'm fine. Are you okay?" He never answered.

If it had to happen, Clare decided, she would look on the bright side and be glad that it happened on a Friday. A Friday meant that she could pretend she hadn't checked her email and seen that there were 17 messages from Eli, with the first one being sent right after lunch. The during-school emails were full of apologies, begging her to meet with him and talk it out. The ones from after school were completely different though. The first one called her a bitch and a whore, and suggested that it wasn't appropriate for someone like her to wear a purity ring.

After that, she didn't read anymore. She put on some sweat pants and curled up on the couch, wishing her mom would come home. It wasn't as if she would tell her mom what happened, but at least she wouldn't be so lonely.

It was almost 6 when Clare heard a knock on the front door. She walked quietly to the side window and peaked out, half afraid it would be Eli. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only K.C.

"Hey," she greeted him as she opened the door. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "I just wanted to check on you. Everything okay?"

Clare stepped back to let him in. "It's fine. I'm glad you stopped by. I never got to thank you for helping me at lunch. I have no idea what I would've done if you hadn't pushed Eli away. I was panicking."

"I saw. I wasn't going to do anything, but then he looked like he was really going to hurt you. Kinda freaked me out, honestly." K.C. stood just inside the door, shuffling his feet and looking around awkwardly.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Clare asked, "So where's Jenna?"

"Oh, she's at home." K.C. rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "One of the guys from the team is having a kegger, and she didn't want to go." He reached for the door like he was leaving, but then stopped. "Hey, do you want to go?"

"What?" Clare exclaimed.

"Do you want to go?" K.C. repeated. "Not like a date or anything," he clarified quickly. "Just as a friend who's having a rough time and could use a break."

Clare glanced down at her sweatpants and uniform shirt. "Um, yeah. I think I'd like that. But do you mind if I change first?"

The party was in full swing by the time K.C. and Clare arrived. It looked, Clare decided, exactly like a scene in a movie, except that the people weren't as pretty and well-dressed. And although she'd never had a drop of alcohol in her life, she didn't say a word when K.C. handed her a plastic cup full of beer. In fact, she chugged it as fast as she could and went for another.

Drew Torres was kind enough to show her how to refill her cup from the keg. By the 3rd beer, she was feeling dizzy, giggly and free. It was as if all the drama that had ruined her entire week just disappeared.

"Dance with me," she shouted to K.C. over the music. "Please!" She tugged on his hand until he followed her to the middle of the floor. She stumbled suddenly, and then laughed out loud as K.C. swept her up in his arms.

"I think you need to go home and sleep it off," he said loudly. "You're drunk as fuck."

"You're so sweet, taking care of me." She smiled happily up at him. Out of nowhere, she got a desperate urge to press her lips against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for all she was worth.

Sav Bhandari paused in his guitar playing when his phone beeped. He hoped it was Holly J, telling him she was off work for the night. Instead, it was a mass text message from an unfamiliar number. The subject said "St. Clare kisses Jenna's baby daddy". Sav frowned as he tapped the file to open it. "Holy shit," he shouted, dropping the phone.

"Savtaj, is something wrong?" his mother called from down the hall.

"Everything's good," he shouted back. "Just stubbed my toe." He hurriedly picked the phone up, staring at the picture intently. The guy in the picture was definitely K.C. Guthrie, Jenna's boyfriend, and he was holding a girl that could easily be identified by her red-gold curls. The incriminating part, though, was the fact that Clare Edwards was pretty much trying to suck K.C.'s tongue out of his mouth.

"Shit," Sav repeated, falling backwards onto his bed. He punched a button on his phone. When a voice picked up on the other end, Sav sighed. "Pete, man, your little girlfriend needs rescuing. Again."

**Author's Note: One day back in class and it's like nursing school has sucked all the life out of me. I apologize if this chapter is lame. But you totally didn't see it coming, right? I have 2 chapters left to write, but they probably won't be up until this weekend at the earliest. As usual, please enjoy! Comments, questions and criticisms welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Degrassi, which is a crying shame. Big thanks to 33 for motivating me to work on this tonight!**

7.

Peter pulled up near the house where the party was so obviously being held. He snorted as he checked out the scene. Clearly these guys were amateurs, because this party was going to get busted soon. There were cars parked all over the place, including the yard. The music was blaring so loudly that he could identify Lady Gaga from halfway down the block. He had to grab Clare and get out fast because there was no way the hosts were getting away with this bash.

He grabbed the first kid he saw, a gorgeous dark-haired girl with way too little clothing.

"Well, hi there," she said, giving him a seductive smile. "How can I help you, sweetie?"

Peter ignored the blatant vibes she was putting off. "I need to find Clare Edwards. Do you know where she is?"

Pretty girl danced away, laughing. "Last time I saw her, she was on her ass after K.C. dropped her. Who knew that Little Miss Innocent turned into a slut when she got drunk? She probably took off. Kissing a pregnant girl's boyfriend, and getting caught, is social suicide. Even I wouldn't go so low." She was still laughing as she fell backwards onto the grass.

Peter walked on. "Now I remember why I hated high school." He made his way through the front entrance of the house, continuing to question people about Clare's whereabouts. After a couple of vague, slurred answers, another guy approached him.

The kid was short and skinny, pale with a lot of freckles on his nose. His face was almost feminine, contrasting sharply with his flannel shirt. "You're Peter, Clare's boyfriend or whatever."

Peter stared down at him. "You're friends with Goth Boy, right?"

"Yeah. I'm Adam." The kid looked down at his shoes, and then back up at Peter. "I'm a friend of Eli's, but I'm also a friend of Clare's. That's why I'm going to tell you that they're upstairs together. Second door on the right." He walked away.

Peter watched him go for a second, until the words penetrated his brain. He took the stairs two at time, accidently kicking a couple that was making out. He quickly regained his balance and reached the top. He was panting by the time he reached the second door on the right. He stood with his hand on the knob, suddenly unsure if he should open the door. Clare was fifteen; if she wanted to be alone doing whatever with her boyfriend, it was none of his business. On the other hand, the guy had been grabbing her and screaming at her just a few hours ago. He wished that somebody would turn the music off. If he could hear what was going on in the room, it would probably give him an idea of the right move. Passionate moans meant get lost, while a plea for help meant, well, help.

Peter's internal debate lasted all of fifteen seconds before he decided to open the door. So what if they were having sex? He was a nineteen-year-old guy; he'd watched plenty of porn. Taking a deep breath, he turned the knob and opened the door as quietly as he could, bracing himself for whatever he might see.

He certainly hadn't expected to see this: Clare safely asleep in a double bed, alone, with the covers pulled up to her chin. He stepped softly over to the bed, careful not to wake her. A quick peek under the covers assured him that she was fully clothed, shoes and all. He sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of what he should do. Letting his eyes drift over Clare again, he noticed that she was grasping something loosely in her right hand. He reached over and caught the corner of it, pulling it out to see a messy note scribbled on a torn piece of notebook paper. He probably shouldn't read it, he thought, but then again, he was being the knight in shining armor so it was his business.

_Clare,_

_A week ago, you swore you'd love me forever. Today, you cringe at the sight of me. How did we get so fucked up? I'm sorry for everything. I never meant to hurt you when I grabbed you earlier. I just wanted you to listen. I'm also really sorry I sent that picture of you and K.C. to everybody. I thought it would be funny and cause a little drama. I didn't know people were going to threaten you over it. I hope that I can earn a small amount of forgiveness by being a gentleman and getting you tucked in to this bed safely. I know it's over for us (I can see in your eyes how much you care about Peter). I hope we can at least be friends again someday._

_Eli_

Clare opened her eyes slowly, blinking away sleep. The sun was slanting across her face, making her feel warm and cozy until she realized that she wasn't in her own room. "What the hell?" She sat up quickly, looking around. She was relieved to realize that all her clothes were on. The big bed was empty except for her, covered in a plain black comforter. The floors were hardwood and the walls were white, leaving Clare with no clue as to her whereabouts. She slipped silently out of the bed, sliding on the shoes that were tucked neatly beside it. Clare made her way toward the desk against the wall. She leaned over to look at the stack of papers on top, and sighed with relief when she saw Peter's name scrawled across the top of the first one.

"Finally awake, are you?" Peter was leaning against the door frame, arms crossed over his chest.

She turned toward him with a smile. "Yeah, finally. What time is it, anyway?"

"It's almost 1."

Clare frowned. Peter sounded mad. "So," she said in her most cheerful voice, "what happened last night? How did I get here?"

When Peter took a step toward her, she realized that he was more than mad; he was furious. "What happened?" he asked menacingly. "Well, I didn't get a lot of details, but from what I gather, you went to a party and got drunk."

Clare tilted her head. "I remember going to the party and having a few beers."

"Do you remember this?" Peter crossed the room to the laptop on his desk and opened it, showing her the picture from last night.

"No, I…" She walked closer. "Is that K.C.? Is that me? Oh my God!"

Peter nodded, smiling tightly. "Yeah, you tried to make out with a guy while his pregnant girlfriend was sitting at home. Real classy, Clare. According to the witnesses, he dropped you on your ass and took off. Immediately following this, you were surrounded by a drunk mob of cheerleaders who wanted to kick your ass."

Clare shook her head, confused. "Were you there or something? How did you know I needed help?"

"Sav texted me when this picture got sent to every kid in Degrassi. You can thank Eli for starting that shit, although he did keep you from getting that pretty face broken. He even tucked you in at the party and left you a sweet note." He threw a wadded up piece of paper at her.

She caught the paper and straightened it, barely glancing at the words before looking back at Peter. "Look, I'm really sorry. I was being stupid, but I don't understand why you're so mad."

Peter slowly advanced on Clare, backing her up against the wall. "You want to know why I'm mad?" he asked, leaning down until his face was mere inches from hers. "Let me tell you why I'm mad. One minute you're this sweet kid who comes in the Dot all the time, Darcy's cute little sister. And then, next thing you know, I'm getting phone calls every five minutes to come and save your ass because you can't take care of yourself."

Clare felt her face heat up. "That's not true!" She shoved Peter away from her. "I don't need you to rescue me. I'm not like your precious Darcy!"

"Darcy needed a psychiatrist because she was raped. You just need a fucking babysitter, Clare! How the hell do you get into these situations? And why the fuck does everybody keep calling me when shit goes wrong?"

"Because…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Because they think you're in love with me."

"You know what? I thought so too, for about a minute." Peter laughed, shaking his head. "I always pick the crazy girls, you know. There was Emma and her eating disorder, and that on-again off-again thing she had going on with Sean. Then it was Darcy, making out with random stoners on the roof and slitting her wrists in the bathroom. Mia wasn't really nuts, just a little too motivated to further her career in all the wrong ways. And now you." There was hurt and disappointment written all over his face. "I really like you, Clare. I think you're beautiful and intelligent and funny. And so incredibly sweet that it kills me. But I can't deal with all of this." Peter closed his eyes. "I need you to leave."

Clare stepped to him, placing one hand on his chest. "Peter…"

He brushed her hand away and looked directly into her eyes. "Clare, I need you to leave. I mean it. Don't call or text me, don't come by the Dot while I'm working. Because there is no way I can do this with you. I'm sorry."

Clare gasped softly, tears sliding slowly down her cheeks. She swallowed hard and nodded at Peter. He watched silently as she turned her back to him and walked out of the room. When he heard the front door slam, he flopped back on the bed and told himself he wasn't crying over her.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own Degrassi. Last chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the story, and I hope you'll read my next one. Thanks for all the reviews and adding me to your alerts!**

8.

The next week passed slowly and sadly for Clare Edwards. At school, she did her best to be invisible, but it wasn't easy since Chantay had written 11 paragraphs about her in the Anti-Grapevine. People didn't bother to hide the fact that they were talking about her. Eli and Adam avoided her, K.C. acted like he was terrified to meet her eyes and Jenna burst into tears every time she passed.

Home wasn't much better. She no longer went to the Dot, which had pretty much been a daily thing. Her mom was either working or out on a date. She called Alli, expecting her best friend to sympathize a little, but Alli was more interested in asking if she'd seen Drew that day than listening to Clare cry. Boredom and loneliness brought Clare to the point of insanity, so she decided to clean the entire house from top to bottom, which helped for the 3 days it took her. After that, she created a plot and characters for a full-length novel, but every time she described the male protagonist, she thought of Peter. Eventually, she dug out her dad's old acoustic guitar and found some videos on YouTube so she could learn how to play.

Friday after school, Clare once again found herself in sweats and her uniform polo, curled up on the couch. She had fixed some popcorn and turned on Eclipse in an attempt to distract herself from real life.

When she heard the knock on the door, Clare had a major case of déjà vu. "If it's K.C. again, I'm slamming the door in his face," she muttered as she paused the movie and made her way to the door. Nope, this time it was Eli.

"Hey," he said when she opened the door.

"Hey," she replied awkwardly. What do you say to an ex-boyfriend who lied to one of your good friends, went psycho on you in front of the whole school, sent pictures of your drunken mistakes to everybody he knew, and then tucked you in to bed with a note apologizing for all of it? "What do you want?"

Eli shrugged. "I just wanted you to open the door. My man here didn't think you'd let him in." He gestured behind him, where Peter was standing shyly, hands in pockets.

"Hi, Clare." Peter glanced at her quickly before returning his gaze to the cracked sidewalk as Eli made a fast getaway. "Um, can we talk?"

She debated about saying no for a few seconds, and then sighed. "Sure, why not? Come on in." There was no point in denying the fact that she'd been miserable all week. He wasn't the only reason for it, but he was certainly one of them. Besides, what could he say to make things worse?

"I, uh, talked to Darcy last night," Peter volunteered as he shut the door behind him. Clare's heart sunk – there was something he could say to make it worse. "I told her everything that was going on," he continued. "She was a little surprised at your behavior, to tell the truth."

Clare pressed her lips together tightly. "I absolutely cannot believe that you went and tattled on me to my big sister. Are we in preschool?"

"That actually wasn't the point of the conversation at all. Can we sit down?" Peter pointed toward the living room.

Clare led him to the sofa, plopping down on it ungracefully. "Then what was the point? To tell her you're still hung up on her?"

Peter sat down with more decorum. "I called her for some advice. She was a little surprised to hear that we're, well, whatever we are, but she's not mad. I think she actually got some closure out of it, really. Anyway, I digress." He was frantically tapping his fingers against his knee. "The first thing is, I owe you another apology. I'm so sorry I blew up when you got up the other morning."

Clare held her hands out. "What were you so mad about? I don't get it. I mean, yeah, it was a pretty stupid thing to do, but it's not like I did anything really dangerous. I didn't try to drive or have unprotected sex or try one of those keg stand things all the guys were doing. It was just a kiss!"

"I was jealous, okay?" Peter yelled, jumping up off the couch. He began pacing around the room like a caged animal. "I don't want you kissing K.C. I don't want you kissing Eli. I don't want you kissing anybody but-"

He stopped talking midsentence when he turned to find Clare right in front of him, reaching up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly. He pulled back slowly, amazement in his eyes, before kissing her back for all he was worth.

"Peter, I don't want to kiss anyone but you."

"Good," he whispered. "Let's keep it that way." He backed up to the couch, pulling her with him so that she ended up in his lap.

"Kiss me again," she said, gazing up at him with her bright blue eyes. "And again, and again…"

"I will."

**Author's Note: I'll be honest and tell you this story went absolutely nowhere near where I intended it to go, but I'm reasonably happy with how it turned out. I hope you feel the same! Thanks to everyone who read it.**


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